The Meadow
by jmfantasy
Summary: ONE SHOT prequel to "wild power alert." Sometimes being surrounded by what you love is worth the ensuing risks.


**This is a prequel to my next chaptered story I'm going to release. It is introducing the character Jessica, who if you've read any of my other stories, you will know who she is. Anyways, please review. Thanks guys.**

**The Meadow**

I turned my to the sky, feeling the moon cast its pale light upon my face. I didn't know why but, I had always loved the night. I couldn't stop myself from going out into the meadow on nights like this. There was some type of pull, an allure that reached into the very depths of my being. The full moon glinted in the sky, and to me it was symbolizing a fresh start. A new year, new semester, new people, and a new me. So much had changed, even in the past few months. My father had passed away, not that I cared about him, he abandoned me before I was born, I never met the man, but my mother, it affected her. She had been absolutely devastated when she found out, sure she'd had boyfriends but my father had been her first love. It hurt me to see her so upset over some man who had panicked and left when he found out she was pregnant. My best friend's family had decided they wanted to move their children somewhere safer, so they were leaving for Canada, and I was losing my only friend. I wasn't very good on the aspect of meeting new people, I always seemed to say the wrong thing, and now I was losing the only person who had given me a chance. The only thing that made the whole scenario better, was the meadow. I had stumbled across it at the beginning of Grade 9 when I had been wandering the streets, and now approaching Grade 12, my final year, I still came here every night. The beauty and the stillness of nature seemed to be the only thing that could calm me.

I sighed and shook it off, deciding to instead enjoy my time in the meadow. This was the only meadow I knew of here in Vegas. Everything was buildings and pollution, and yet I found myself drawn to this place like a magnet. Perhaps it was the fact that I had always felt different than everyone else, lost in a sea of people, and the meadow was the only thing that resembled nature here. I didn't know, the only thing I did know was I couldn't seem to stay away, even with the cons. It was easily a half hour walk from my house, not to mention the fact that it was private property, making it so I was trespassing, and if my mom caught me out of my house I would be grounded for the rest of my life. I shouldn't want to be here. But I do. The meadow was the only place where I felt truly at peace with myself, it was illogical and stupid, but that didn't matter to me.

As if to ruin my night, a light flickered on in the house that backed onto the meadow. I took off like a gun, not having any desire to be caught and charged. I didn't slow my pace until I reached my house, skittish for reasons I couldn't understand. I slipped inside the door, not wanting to wake my mother. I almost jumped out of my skin when the light on the stairs flickered on to reveal my mother standing on the staircase, arms crossed. She was not easily irked, so having her arms crossed was not a good sign for me. I cringed internally, hoping for the best.

"Jessica, where were you?" she demanded, the tone in her voice crawling into my very bones.

"Umm..." I was at a loss for words, I had never heard my mother use that tone of voice, least of all on me.

"You were at the meadow again, weren't you?" she sighed exasperated, and I knew she wasn't mad. I grinned sheepishly and started ascending the stairs. That's when it dawned on me that maybe she was just too tired to punish me.

"Wait a minute, I'm not in trouble?" I had to clarify, I was sure I would go mad, stuck inside in a bedroom for the rest of the summer, if I got grounded.

"No," she sighed, explaining upon seeing the confused look on my face, "It's not like you're going out and getting drunk or high, like most teenagers when they sneak off. You're going to enjoy the only remaining form of nature in Vegas at a time when it isn't as easy to get caught. I would have done the same thing when I was your age. Just make sure you don't get caught." She turned and headed back up to her room, as I stood their grinning.

This was why I loved my mom, she and I were so alike, and she understood me. But mostly because she was still a kid at heart, she wasn't like all the high-strung parents who constantly told their kids "don't do this, don't do that." She trusted me to do what I felt was right. She would never take the meadow away from me, because she understood my allure towards nature when no one else could. Nature was my companion, comforting and holding me, making me feel whole, like no one else could.

I walked into my room, changed into my PJ's, and sat down on my windowsill. As I looked up at the moon one last time before going to bed, I couldn't stop the sinking feeling in my stomach telling me that everything was about to be different.


End file.
